INTERVIEW
39
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014
access
INTERNATIONAL
units of telehandlers, trucks andAWPs in it.
“Wewant to coverGermanymore butwe
are a new company inGermany so it’s not
easy, there’s a lot of competition in access.”
In economic terms,Mr Schreurs adds that
theGermanmarket is a bit better than the
Netherlands’market,“But again it is not easy –
but thennothing is easy.”
Growing stronger
Expanding onmarket conditions,he says,“It’s
still a bit quiet inGermany.The beginning
of the yearwas better,but after the summer
holidays things have not really got started
again.Normally the secondhalf of the year
is better but this year things are changing – I
thinkperhaps problems inRussia are causing
this.”
Collé’s revenues aremade upof 50% sales
and50% rental.“We sell all over theworld,
especially used equipment.Last yearwe sold
mainly used to equipment 60 countries.”
This year the company says its saleswill
provide €45mmillion in revenues,which
means that the company’s total revenue this
year is expected to reach€90million,“Ifwe
have a good year,”clarifiesMr Schruers.
Likemany of his contemporaries,he has
experiencedmore thanone economic slide in
his career.“This is the third recession I have
seen,butwe are a family business and each
timeCollé becomes stronger thanbefore.”
Thismeans the companywill grow, although
Mr Schreurs is uncertainwhat thatwill
translate to in terms of fleet size.“Eachnew
depotwill need350machines,whichmeans
wewill have to supply them, so therewill be
growth.”
Mr Schreurs says although themain
quantity of rental comes from scissors and the
booms it’s themore ‘specialistmachines’ that
provide themost profit on an individual basis,
for example, the big truckmounts. Incidentally,
Collé has 100 truckmounts in its fleet ranging
from21m to103mworkingheight,90%of
which arePlafingers.
Mr Schreursmakes the point that there are
greater differences inproduct choice across the
Netherlands than there is inGermany.
“InHolland there are greater differences
between the south,middle andnorthof the
country.For example, inmid-Netherlands
trailers aremore popular than they are in the
southor the north.But inGermany, there are
not somany differences across the country.”
An increasingly interestingproduct type
forCollé is telehandlers.The company started
importingMagni products for theBenelux
last year.“There is a growingmarket for
telehandlers because you canuse them for
different thingswith forks,basket or bucket.”
He adds that suchflexibility is becoming
more important tousers.The company is
also an importer ofWackerNeusonproducts
and aManitoudealer, forwhich it sells 350
telehandler and access units a year. In addition,
Collé is a dealer for Palfinger andGenie.
The company has developed its used
equipment business over the years,most of
which comes from its rental fleet.Primarily
used sales go to customers in theNetherlands,
Germany andBelgium.“If someonewants
amachine thatwe have inour fleet thenwe
will sell it to them,”saysMr Schreurs. And
as is commonly the case, itwill alsobuy-back
customers used equipmentwhen sellingnew
products to them.
“It takes a long time tobuildup a second
handmarket.Rental and sales are twodifferent
things, andnowwe candobothwell.”
AI
EuanYoudale
sat down
with themanaging
director of ColléRental &
Sales
JeanSchreurs
during
September’sPlatformers’
Days exhibition inGermany
to talk about his plans in
the country and for the
company.
C
olléRental&Sales is based inSittard,
theNetherlands, very close to the
German andBelgiumborder,with a
growingnumber of sites inGermany andone
inBelgium.
JeanSchreurs has beenwith the company for
38 years, formany ofwhichhewas the trusted
right handman to theCollé family,whichhas
owned the company for four generations.Now
he ismanagingdirector and is taking forward
the company’s plans for expansion.
Collé began selling agricultural equipment
before getting into rental in1998 andnow
has 270 employees. It alsohas 2000AWPs
in its general rental fleet andplans to expand.
Germany is a relatively newmarket toCollé,
but is a key part of its plans.The company
already has three locations in the country and
will be opening two additional ones soon in
Philippsburg andLeer - each sitewill have 350
Petri Paavolainen,
Dinolift managing
director.
Platform plans
Jean Schreurs, managing
director of Netherlands-based
Collé Rental & Sales.
Collé’s standwas nestled among the 150
exhibitors at Platformers’ Days, Germany,
where it is planning expansion.
